Coagulation of proteins in the upper gastro-intestinal tract, in particular in the stomach is hypothesized to delay gastric emptying. This can result in upper gastrointestinal complications like reflux, gastrointestinal discomfort, and aspiration pneumonia. In particular nutritional compositions mainly containing or consisting of casein and/or caseinate tend to coagulate under conditions in the stomach.
In cases where it is advantageous for subjects to receive easily digestible nutrition it is desired to administer such a nutrition that does not result in too much coagulation of proteins in the stomach. Controlling digestive coagulation of proteins is preferably established for those subjects wherein it is desired to prevent or reduce upper gastrointestinal conditions or complications such as, e.g. intestinal discomfort, reflux, aspiration pneumonia, high gastric residual volume (GRV), vomiting, nausea, bloating, and delayed gastric emptying, or to make it easily digestible in order to promote digestive comfort, reduce gastrointestinal cramping or colics.
Nutritional compositions containing casein, in particular sodium caseinate and vegetable proteins such as soy and/or pea protein are known.
For example US 2003/0104033 teaches enteral formulations comprising 40-95 weight % of caseinate and 5-60 weight % of a stabilizing protein, selected from the group of whey and a one or more vegetable proteins, selected from the group of soy, corn, potato, rice and pea, the most preferred vegetable protein being soy protein. The document is concerned with the reduction of creaming in enteral formulae and is silent with respect to coagulation properties of the composition.
Another example is EP 1 972 346 which discloses a pea-based protein mixture comprising 50 weight % caseinate, 25 weight % milk serum proteins and 25 weight % pea protein. The document is silent with respect to coagulation properties of the composition.